Cape Cod Fishing Report

AJ at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay says it has been windy recently, but people are still coming in the shop to buy gear and tackle. The Canal is steady with slot fish and schoolies on the east and west end. Jigging on the bottom has been the most productive method, according to AJ. He says albies continue to make the rounds down in Falmouth and Woods Hole. Trout fishing is good following the recent stockings by Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Evan at Eastman’s Sport & Tackle in Falmouth says there has been consistent albie action in Falmouth, Woods Hole, and the Elizabeth Islands. Last year he was tog fishing at the Elizabeths on November 7 and albies popped up several times, so by no means is the run over. Tautog fishing is solid from Buzzards Bay all the way north to Cuttyhunk at the Elizabeth Islands. Getting a limit shouldn’t be difficult, but be prepared to go through many short tog before finding a keeper. He noted a customer recently caught a 7-pound tog locally. Bass fishing is steady and a couple of customers came into the shop, saying they’re catching schoolies at the Canal.

Maco’s Bait and Tackle in Buzzards Bay says the Canal is producing some good fish on bucktails and jigs. Tautog action has been good, even though there are a lot of shorts on the rock piles. Albie action has been quiet in the waters surrounding the Canal, but there are occasionally some bonito being pulled from the east end.

John Clothier of Fish Chatham Charters picked up giant bluefin tuna upwards of 650 pounds this week off the Cape. He says the bite has been all day and the giant tuna are feeding on butterfish and herring. Water temps are in the upper 50s and the tuna should stick around until Thanksgiving. He noted albies are holding off Chatham and there are also some bluefish around.

Cape Cod Forecast

Wind and high seas will be the story moving forward, so picking a specific weather window will be crucial. Another option is to fish in a sheltered area to minimize the wind and elements. Saturday’s NOAA Forecast at Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds is calling for seas ranging from 1 to 3 feet, with 5 to 10-knot winds.

Late-season albie fishing is holding on with good numbers of fish this past week from Falmouth Harbor to Woods Hole and Lackeys Bay. The fish have been feeding on small bait, mostly bay anchovies, and they have been picky. When matching the bait isn’t working, larger epoxy and resin jigs have been getting strikes. There has also been an influx of small 1- to 2-pound bluefish feeding under birds in the mornings.

Schoolie stripers and some slot-sized fish can be found in most of the south side and Buzzards Bay salt ponds, harbors, and estuaries, where they are chasing any remaining schools of peanut bunker. Look for feeding cormorants and gulls to find the bait and stripers. Shore fishermen fishing inlets and rivers along the south side have reported stripers from 20 to 30 inches.

Tog action should be consistent on the less pressured rock piles in Buzzards Bay and at the Elizabeth Islands. It might take some time to build the bite and several spots to limit out.